RECORDING Field Notes: Know Gain, No Pain

Deep diving into meters and levels for the intrepid audio explorer

Basic Audio Signal Levels

What is an audio signal? I think of it as any representation of an audible event that can be generated, stored or transmitted in some form—typically a voltage or analog or digital data––that will eventually be heard. These events remain in “signal” form until they’re converted into air pressure changes, at which point we perceive them as sound.

An audio signal level, then, is essentially a catch-all term for measuring the intensity of that signal. More specific—and more commonly used—terms include volume, loudness and gain.